Do you believe that women should be at the core of Cyprus Shipping’s future and how easy is to further underline the significant role of the years to come?
In former times, shipping was considered to be a “man’s world”. Today, we gladly witness that the maritime sector worldwide is becoming increasingly more welcoming to women.
Cyprus shipping is not an exception. Nowadays, women are playing an increasingly important
role in the Cyprus maritime sector. It is obvious that breaking the stereotypes allow women to outer- perform based on their knowledge and skills and not on their gender.
Gender diversity is equally important for shipping as for all other industries, as it brings in different skills and knowledge that will keep shipping moving forward. Just like many other jobs, to be an effective and successful employee in shipping, someone need not to have a strong body but to have a strong mind.
I am convinced that intelligent and skillful women can bring a new era for the maritime sector not only in Cyprus, but also worldwide. I see women being more visible now in the Cyprus maritime sec- tor than when I embarked on my career in shipping; at the beginning, as an apprentice deck officer on board a ship, and then, as a government officer in the Department of Merchant Shipping and afterwards as the Head of the Registry of Cyprus Ships in the Cyprus Shipping Deputy Ministry.
It is my belief that women are essential to a viable and robust future for Cyprus shipping. The integration of women in shipping is happening faster than ever in Cyprus. The appointment of a woman, Mrs.Natasa Pilides, as the first Shipping Deputy Minister, upon the creation of the Cyprus Shipping Deputy Ministry, is a great example of the trust our government places to women and also a message that culture in shipping is changing.
The most significant challenge up to now may have been the lack of awareness by the public about the excellent job prospects in the shipping industry, despite various, mostly occasional attempts
to enlighten the public. This fact has also been identified by our current Shipping Deputy Minister, Mr.Vassilios Demetriades, who has placed the career awareness among the top priorities in the long term strategy for Cyprus shipping which was recently launched.
It is our duty to inspire young talented women to embark on a maritime career by passing the mes- sage that there is a place for them in this fascinating world of shipping.
I am very optimistic that Cyprus, being one of the key shipping centers in the world, combining
a sovereign flag and a strong resident shipping industry, could be a pioneer and a catalyst in the involvement of women in the maritime sector and pave the way to transform shipping into a woman-friendly industry.
* Former Head of Registry of Cyprus Ships & Head of Promotion and Development,Cyprus Shipping Deputy Ministry
The answer was provided for NAFS magazine issue 143 in its special report “WOMEN in SHEPPING”